How to Install Spotify on Ubuntu 24.04, 22.04, or 20.04

Spotify is a giant in the music streaming service industry, offering millions of tracks and podcasts at your fingertips. Its user-friendly interface, vast library, and personalized playlists make it a favorite among music enthusiasts worldwide.

Here are some key features of the Spotify desktop application:

• Ease of Access: Spotify brings your favorite music and podcasts to your desktop.
• Personalization: Discover new music through personalized playlists and recommendations.
• High-Quality Streaming: Enjoy music in high-quality audio formats.
• Cross-Platform Support: Access your Spotify account on any device, anytime.
• Offline Listening: Download your favorite tracks and podcasts for offline enjoyment.
• User-Friendly: Navigate through a clean and intuitive interface.
• Social Sharing: Share your favorite music and playlists with friends.
• Continuous Updates: Stay up-to-date with the latest features and music releases.

With these points in mind, let’s move on to the installation process. Now, let’s dive into the technical steps to get Spotify up and running on your Ubuntu system.

Method 1: Install Spotify via APT

Installing Spotify on Ubuntu is first by using the APT package manager and importing the official Spotify repository. This option is ideal for most users as it allows for easy updates.

Update Ubuntu Before Spotify Installation

Begin by ensuring that your system is up-to-date to avoid any conflicts. Run the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Install Initial Packages For Spotify Installation

Install the necessary dependencies required for installing Spotify using the APT method with the following command:

sudo apt install curl libcanberra-gtk-module software-properties-common apt-transport-https

Import Spotify APT Repository

Import the GPG key using the following command:

curl -sS https://download.spotify.com/debian/pubkey_7A3A762FAFD4A51F.gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/spotify.gpg > /dev/null

Add the official repository by running the following command:

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/spotify.gpg] http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list

Install Spotify via APT Command

Update your system to reflect the newly imported repository by running the following:

sudo apt update

Finally, install Spotify by running the following command:

sudo apt install spotify-client

Note: You might need to restart your computer after installing Spotify if the necessary system paths haven’t been created immediately. Rebooting your computer should resolve this issue.

reboot

Method 2: Install Spotify via Flatpak and Flathub

Another method for installing Spotify on Ubuntu is using the Flatpak package manager. However, it’s worth noting that Flatpak is not pre-installed on Ubuntu distributions due to Snap, which is Flatpak’s rival, owned by Canonical and Ubuntu.

Note: If you don’t have Flatpak installed on your Ubuntu machine, refer to our installation guide. The guide utilizes a LaunchPAD PPA from the Flatpak team to ensure you get the latest version of Flatpak for all versions of Ubuntu.

Ensure Flathub is Enabled for Spotify

The first task is to ensure Flathub is enabled; this should be the case if you have installed Flatpak already beforehand, but still worth running to ensure it is:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Install Spotify via Flatpak Command

Next, install the Spotify client using the following command:

flatpak install flathub com.spotify.Client

Method 3: Install Spotify via Snapcraft

The third way to install Spotify on Ubuntu is using the Snapcraft package manager. By default, Snapcraft should already be installed on Ubuntu systems unless it was removed previously.

Snap Core

The snap core needs to be installed to avoid any conflicts, which can be done with the following command:

sudo snap install core

Install Spotify via Snap Command

Install the Spotify snap package using the following command:

sudo snap install spotify

Launch Spotify via CLI or GUI Methods

Once you successfully installed Spotify on Ubuntu using one of the three methods (APT, Flatpak, or Snapcraft), you can quickly launch the application through cli commands or the application icon.

CLI Commands to Open Spotify UI

APT Command:

spotify

Flatpak Command:

flatpak run com.spotify.Client

Snap Command:

snap run spotify

Graphical Launch Method with Spotify Application Icon

If you prefer to launch the Spotify application using the icon on Ubuntu, here are the steps:

1. Click on the “Activities” button in the top left corner of the screen.
2. Search for “Spotify” in the search bar and click the Spotify icon to launch the application.

Additional Spotify Commands

Remove Spotify

If you no longer need Spotify on your Ubuntu machine, you can easily remove it using the following methods, depending on the installation method you used:

APT Remove Method For Spotify

Open the terminal and run the following command to remove Spotify:

sudo apt remove spotify-client

If you don’t plan on reinstalling Spotify in the future, you can remove the repository by running the following command:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list

Lastly, remove the GPG key with the following command:

sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/spotify.gpg

Flatpak Remove Method For Spotify

Open the terminal and run the following command to remove Spotify:

flatpak uninstall --delete-data flathub com.spotify.Client

Snap Remove Method For Spotify

Open the terminal and run the following command to remove Spotify:

sudo snap remove spotify

With these steps, you can successfully uninstall Spotify from your Ubuntu machine, regardless of the installation method you used.

Conclusion

In this guide, we walked through installing Spotify on Ubuntu, covering three installation methods to suit different preferences. We also shared tips for first-time users on optimizing performance, customizing the experience, and enhancing functionality, ensuring you get the most out of Spotify on your Ubuntu system. Remember, the key to a smooth Spotify experience on Linux is to keep experimenting with settings and community resources.